


Something to Remember Me By

by joz_stankovich (joz_rose)



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Game Spoilers, Post-Canon, Romance, Spoilers, fluffy fluff, plot what's that?, with a side of slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2017-04-08
Packaged: 2018-10-13 12:00:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10513338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joz_rose/pseuds/joz_stankovich
Summary: When Aloy tells Erend of her impending trip to find Elisabet Sobeck's final resting place, he has a hard time dealing with the news.  Worried that she'll be caught up in her love of exploration and forget about him, he gets her a gift to remember him by.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first piece of fanfiction to be posted online. I just love this fandom so much and there's not nearly enough fan content out there, so I felt the need to contribute. Enjoy. ^^

    When Aloy had decided to stay in Meridian after the Eclipse attack no one was more overjoyed than Erend, and much to his surprise, despite all the people clamouring for her attention, she spent most of her free time with him.   Walks through the city at night, long talks about anything and everything, sharing stories from their childhoods; Erend even joined her on a few hunting forays.  As the weeks went on, the thought of Aloy _not_ being around became a foreign one.  
  
    Erend stood outside the door to Aloy’s apartment.  It was the third time he’d knocked with no answer, but he was sure this was the time her message had said to be there.  He tried the door handle and found it was unlocked.  Hesitantly, he opened the door and peered inside.  The lamps were lit, but Aloy was nowhere to be seen.      
  
    “Hey Aloy, you here?”  No answer.  That was strange.  Feeling a twinge of worry, Erend stepped inside.  The newly replaced vault door stood open, so he made his way toward the steps leading down.  “Aloy?  You down there?”  
  
    As he reached the bottom of the worn steps, Erend saw Aloy across the room, clearly absorbed by something projected through her focus that only she could see, and still hadn’t noticed his presence.  While she was preoccupied, Erend took the opportunity to commit the sight of her in this moment to memory.  The way the candle light flickered across her face, making her eyes sparkle golden in the firelight and highlighting the splash of freckles across her nose; the way she crinkled her brow when she was concentrating.    
   
    Deciding to make his presence known, he knocked on the wooden railing.  “Earth to Aloy.”  
  
    The sudden sound caused Aloy to jump and she instinctively reached for her spear propped against the wall.  When she saw it was only Erend she relaxed, but shot a glare his way.  “Are you _trying_ to give me heart attack?”  
  
    Erend couldn’t help but laugh.  “So, it seems the great machine hunter herself _can_ be taken by surprise, and I wasn’t even trying.”  Aloy gave him a puzzled look.  “Didn’t you hear me calling?  I wasn’t exactly quiet.”  
  
    “I was focused on something,” she replied, a touch defensively.  
  
    Erend grinned, “And here I thought you were ignoring me on purpose.”  Aloy gaped at him, not sure how to respond.  Noticing her scandalized expression, Erend quickly held up his hands.  “It was a joke, Aloy.”  
  
    “Oh.”    
  
    The way she furrowed her brows only made him smile wider.  “So, uh, you gunna fill me in on this important thing you’re so focused on?”  
  
    Aloy’s annoyance was quickly replaced by excitement as she moved closer to explain what she’d discovered.  “Do you remember how I told you about the Alphas for Project Zero Dawn?”  
  
    “Yeah.”  Erend shifted slightly as Aloy closed the gap between the two of them.  There was that electric feeling again.  It happened whenever she was near.  
  
    “… and how Elisabet sacrificed herself to fix the door to their bunker so the Faro swarm couldn’t detect them?””  
  
    “Yeah..”  
  
    “Well, at the end of the recording, Elisabet said she was going to try to get home; where she grew up.  I’ve been trying to locate exactly where that might be.”  
  
    “And… you found it?”  
  
    Aloy took a deep breath.  “I found it.  I think.”  She moved toward the map on the wall.  “It wasn’t easy.  I had to wait for my focus to reassemble all of Elisabet’s corrupted journal files.”  She pointed to a spot on the map, it wasn't close to Meridian.  “If I’m right… _and_ if she even made it there before the Faro swarm, then that’s where I’ll find her.”  Aloy hesitated, and a shadow passed across her face.  “Well… her body anyway.”  
  
    Erend could see what was coming next.  “When are you leaving?”  
  
    Aloy turned to regard him.  The pause before she answered told him before her words did.  
  
    “Tomorrow.”  Erend opened his mouth, but Aloy rushed on.  “I figured it would be better to leave sooner rather than later.  And I won’t be gone long.  It should only take a few months, round trip.  Maybe faster with a strider.”  She wasn’t quite sure why she felt the need to justify her decision to him, but the disappointment on his face probably had something to do with it.  
  
    “Right.  A few months… that's kind of vague, but... if you say it won't be long...”  It sounded as though Erend was trying to convince himself, but the pain in his eyes was plain, and Aloy felt it like an arrow to the breast.  “Well, you probably have preparations to make before you leave.  I should get out of your hair.”  The Captain of the Vanguard turned to leave when he felt Aloy’s hand on his shoulder.  
  
    “You’re going to come see me off tomorrow… right?”  
  
    Erend's face lightened for an instant.  “Of course.”

    "Good."  
  
    Their eyes locked for a moment and Aloy wanted to say more - to tell him how much their time together meant to her; how much _he_ meant to her… but the words wouldn’t come, and the moment was lost.  
  
    Instead she stammered, “I’ll see you at the bridge tomorrow then.”  
  
    “Yep.  See you then.  Goodnight Aloy.”  
  
    “Goodnight…”  
  
    She watched a deflated Erend mount the vault stairs, and as the door shut behind him Aloy felt like kicking herself.  A frustrated groan passed her lips as she began to pace the room.  Why was it that scaling a mountain or taking down a Stormbird was less daunting than trying to put her feelings into words?  Rost had taught her many lessons about survival, but he had never prepared her for anything like this.    
  
    Perhaps Vanasha could help her with her social awkwardness when she returned, but there was no time now.  She just had to hope she could make it up to Erend before she left, but just the thought of how she would breach _that_ subject made her stomach squirm.  She would rather face down a charging Thunderjaw.  
  
    Aloy tried to focus on preparing for her journey, but her thoughts kept returning to how much she would miss a certain member of the Vanguard.  
  
   

* * *

  
  
    Erend was already halfway through his second beer, with a helping of self-loathing and a side of despondency.  
  
_What did you think was gunna happen?  She’s not the type to be content staying in one place for long.  You should have known this wouldn’t last._  
  
    A small voice prodded back.  _She’s coming back.  Don’t be so damn dramatic._  
  
    He finished his drink and ordered another, tossing it back as soon as the mug was in his hand.  
  
_Yeah, but then she’ll leave again, and soon she’ll stop returning.  Because let’s face it, why would she?  For you?  Don’t make me laugh._  
  
    Erend groaned and leaned forward, resting his face against the worn dark wood of the bar.  The small voice was back, but this time it nagged much louder and sounded suspiciously like Ersa.  Leave it to his sister to set him straight even from the grave.  
  
     _Stop acting like a selfish child, Erend.  This wallowing in self-pity ain’t attractive, and I know you’re better than this.  Not everything is about you and if you truly care about Aloy, then you need to be supportive, because this journey is important to her.  Now, stop drinking or you’ll be too hungover in the morning to see her before she leaves._  
  
    “Shit…” he murmured into the table.  The voice was right.  Erend left the remainder of his beer untouched and left the tavern.    
  
    The cool night air did wonders to clear his head and he meandered his way through the marketplace.  The guards he passed nodded in greeting.  Most of the shops were closed, but a few vendors still hovered near their wares.  One such merchant was an old Banuk woman that Erend hadn’t seen around before, but it was the rough jewelry on her table that caught his eye.  One pendent instantly reminded him of Aloy and a sudden impulse caught him; he knew he had to get it for her.  The crone murmured something about the protective qualities of the stone, but all Erend could think of was how beautiful it would look on Aloy.

* * *

  
    The sun was beginning to shine weakly over the horizon as Aloy made her way through the busy morning crowds.  The streets nearest the market were always bustling at this hour.  At one point Aloy would have avoided such crowds at all cost, but now she was used to the sight.  As she walked, she reflected on how much Meridian had grown on her since her first visit.  
  
    When she neared the gate she quickly caught sight of Erend and a tension in her chest she hadn’t even realized was there, eased.  A part of her had been afraid he wouldn’t show up.  
  
    “Erend, you’re here!” she exclaimed, smiling.  
  
    The Oseram shrugged slightly, “Well, yeah.  I wouldn’t pass up the chance to see you again before you left.”  He returned her smile, but seemed anxious.  
  
    “Are you okay?  I mean, last night you seemed… upset.”  
  
    “Straight to the point as always, huh?”  Erend let out a nervous chuckle.  “Yeah, I uh, I didn’t exactly handle your news very well,” he took a deep breath before continuing.  “But, uh, I have something for you.”  He carefully pulled the necklace from his pocket and held it out to her.  
  
    Aloy looked at the gift with wide eyes as she gingerly took it in her hands.  The sun caught one of the stone’s rough edges and sparkled softly.  Aloy wasn’t used to receiving gifts, but she felt touched at the gesture.  
  
    Erend cleared his throat, “I guess you could think of it as something to remember me by, I dunno…”  
  
    “Erend, it’s lovely, but I don’t need a trinket to remind me of you.  I couldn’t forget you if I tried,” Aloy replied, grinning up at him.  
  
    By the metal, how he loved that smile.  _This is it, do it now, before she slips away again._ The words he wanted to say felt like a weight in his chest, dragging him down, threatening to drown him in the sea of anxious thoughts that has been building up over the past few weeks.  
  
    “Aloy… I gotta tell you something,” he shifted uncomfortably.  
  
    “I think I have a few minutes to spare.”  
  
    Erend took a deep breath.  Then his words came out in a rush of nerves.  He felt like a fool as his tongue stumbled over the lines he’d spent all night practicing.  “Aloy, I know I haven’t known you very long, but I-I care about you.  Y’know… as more than just a friend?  And, I don’t know if you even feel the same way about me… and it’s okay if you don’t!  I just needed to tell you, before you leave again and I maybe never get see you again…”  
  
    The whole while Erend forged on Aloy was trying to catch his attention, but he was determined to get it all out before his nerve ran out.  Finally she had to raise her voice to be heard over his rambling confession.    
  
    “Erend.  _Erend_!”  
  
    The Captain of the Vanguard stopped mid sentence and looked at her, his pale eyes wide; worry etched into the lines of his face.  
  
    “ _Finally_.”  Aloy exclaimed with a huff, shifting her weight from side to side.  However, with his eyes now focused on her she began to feel nervous.  “I care about you too.”  She fidgeted, hesitant.  “As more than a friend,” she added, feeling giddy at saying the words aloud.  How long had she wondered at these budding feelings, trying to rationalize them away just to have them return to the forefront of her mind, stronger than before.  
  
    “Wait, _really_?”  Erend asked, disbelieving.  Aloy punched his arm sharply.  “Ow!”  He made a face as he rubbed the spot her fist had connected with.  
  
    “I don’t say things I don’t mean, Erend.  You should know that by now.”  Aloy’s expression softened as she watched a bewildered grin spread across Erend’s face.  She looked down at his gift, still clutched in her hand and strung the leather cord around her neck, letting the pendent settle next to the one from Rost.  She fingered the rough crystal with a small smile on her face.  When she looked back up, she cleared her throat and quickly glanced at the small crowd of people around them; none of which seemed to be paying them any mind.  
  
    “I, uhm,” Aloy took a deep breath, “I have something for you too, Erend.”  
  
    He was about to protest that that wasn’t necessary, when Aloy’s lips connected with his.  It happened so fast, Erend didn’t even get to enjoy the soft wamth of her lips for more than a moment before Aloy pulled back, her face nearly as red as her hair.  She had never kissed anyone before.  
  
    Erend cleared his throat.  “I know I’m pushing my luck, but… you think I could maybe get one more of those?”  His voice sounded hopeful.  
  
    Aloy didn’t think she could trust her voice to answer, but found herself nodding in reply.  She wasn’t prepared when Erend pulled her closer; a small surprised squeak escaped her lips.  This kiss was nothing like the first, and the usually fierce huntress felt herself melting into his arms.  Somewhere in the distance she heard whistles, but the cheers of the Vangaurdsmen were muted by the pounding of blood in her ears.    
  
    She was reluctant to break contact, but she needed air and was glad when Erend didn’t loosen his hold on her; instead resting his forehead against hers.  “I wish you didn’t have to go,” he whispered.  
  
    Aloy had never heard his voice so soft before.  There was a tenderness there that she’d only noticed twice.  The first was during Ersa’s last moments, and the second was when they’d spoke before the battle with Hades.  She sighed, “I know, but this is important.”  
  
    It took all of Erend’s strength to step back and let his arms drop to his sides.  “I know.”  A small grin suddenly tugged at his lips and he shrugged slightly.  “And I’ll be right here when you get back.”  
  
    Aloy smirked as she began walking backwards, reluctant to lose sight of him. “I’ll hold you to that.”  A sudden recklessness overtook her.  “Besides, I’ll be looking forward to our reunion!” she called, feeling her face heat again at the realization of how many people had just overheard her.  The last thing she saw before turning to cross the bridge out of Meridian was Erend’s red face.  
  
    As soon as the fiery haired woman had passed out of sight, swallowed by the crowd, Erend shook himself out of his reverie and noticed the shit-eating grins on the faces of his men.  “Alright, show’s over!  Get back to your damn posts!” he growled.  He took one last look out over the bridge.    
  
_I hope you find what you’re looking for Aloy.  Come back safe._


	2. A Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aloy returns to Meridian looking forward to seeing a certain Vanguardsman, but their reunion doesn't turn out exactly as either of them had imagined, not that that's necessarily a bad thing.

     During the first two months of Aloy’s absence, Erend tried to keep himself as busy as possible, picking up extra shifts and trying to stay away from the tavern at all costs.  He was really trying to take Ersa’s final words to heart, plus all the extra work left him too exhausted by the end of the day to even think about drinking.  However, as another month had passed and Aloy still hadn’t returned, it was getting harder not to take the edge off his worry with a pint… or three.  
  
    Every day, Erend took up a post by the main gate, hoping to catch a glimpse of red hair in the mass of people crossing the bridge into the city.  The other members of the Vanguard could sense his tension, but none of them had the guts to breach the subject with him.  After a few such tries they noticed his mood always turned even more sour when one of them tried to bring her up, and none of them wanted to earn their Captain’s ire.  
  
    He knew Aloy was capable and that she was probably more at home in the wilds than anywhere else, but there was still this nagging worry that something had happened to her.  It was true that the machines had quieted much since the defeat of Hades, but she had a long way to go and there were still always bandits on the roads, and sometimes what they did was worse than any machine… and at that line of thought Erend would have to force it out of his mind, or he’d go crazy.  
  
    Some nights the Oseram would lay in bed and wonder if he’d only dreamed of kissing her before she left.  It seemed such a long time ago, and what if she’d changed her mind about him since then.  His doubts always brought foul dreams, leaving him tossing all night.   
  
    One afternoon while he was attending the Sun King, Avad glanced at him.  “She’ll return, Erend, by the Sun, she will.”  His voice was pitched low, for his Captain’s ears only.  
  
    Caught off guard, Erend’s eyes widened, but he quickly schooled his expression.  “Yeah, yeah.  Of course she will,” he replied gruffly.  Avad placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile before turning to follow Blameless Marad out.  “She will..” Erend murmured to himself as he looked out over the city.  
  
    A few more weeks passed and still no sign of her.  It was a chilly morning when Erend struggled out of bed and made his way to his normal post by the gate, his eyes heavy from the dreams that had kept him up most of the night.  One of the guards tried engaging him in conversation, but Erend shooed him away irritably and continued to stare bleary eyed over the bridge.  There seemed to be some sort of commotion stirring.  The crowd surged; people were moving aside for something or someone.  Erend groaned.  He was in no mood to deal with someone causing a scene this early in the morning.  
  
    “Erend!”  
  
    The voice that called out over the hum of the crowd sounded familiar, and he furrowed his brow, trying to pick out who had called his name.    
  
    “ _Erend_!”  
  
    The Oseram gave a start as recognition dawned on him a moment before Aloy crashed into him, throwing her arms around his neck.  He staggered backward, dazed at her sudden appearance, but grinning like a fool as he wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her easily and spinning her around.  When he set her down she was laughing.  Erend took a moment to look her over.  She looked no different than when she’d left; no new wounds, scars, or bruises - just a little travel worn.  The crystal pendent he’d given her shone as a stray ray of sunlight hit it.  
  
    “Erend, are you alright?”  Aloy looked up at him, grasping the sides of his face with her hands, “You don’t look well,” she exclaimed, knitting her brows together as she studied his face and the dark circles rimming his eyes.  
  
    Erend shrugged, his exhaustion forgotten.  “Nah, it’s nothing.”  He took her hands and gently pulled them away from his face.  
  
    Not convinced, Aloy moved closer, her eyes narrowing.  “Nothing?!  Erend you look _terrible_!”  
  
    He chuckled, “Geeze Aloy, I mean, I know I’m not the best looking, but you don’t have to rub it in.”  
  
    Aloy pursed her lips.  “That’s _not_ what I meant.”  However, her expression softened, “Are you _sure_ you’re fine?”  
  
    Erend was grinning so widely, his face was beginning to hurt.  “Really, Aloy.  I’ve never been better.”  
  
    She looked at him skeptically, but soon cracked a smile to match his own.  _You have no idea how much I’ve missed you._   The words caught on her tongue, and Aloy suddenly felt inexplicably shy.  She’d kissed him in almost this exact spot not more than three and a half months ago, in front of a crowd of people, no less, and she was suddenly feeling _shy_?  She could remember how daring the last words she’d called to him over the crowd had sounded, and now she was _shy_?  Her face began to heat just remembering the implications of those words.  
  
    Erend watched the strange mix of emotions quickly cross the huntress’s face and raised his eyebrows slightly.  “Uhh, Aloy?”  
  
    “Yes?”  She immediately chirped, trying to gain control of her features.  
  
    Erend hesitated, “You-you’re probably pretty drained from the trip.  Maybe you should go get some rest… and I can catch up with you later?”  The question in his voice was hopeful.  
  
    Aloy nodded.  “Yeah.  I’d like that.”  She was about to walk away when she felt a familiar surge of boldness.  She quickly raised up on her toes and placed a kiss on Erend’s cheek.  “Uhm, just come over when you’re done working.”  She wore a small smile as she turned away from him.  She hoped he hadn’t seen how red her face had turned and she wondered if she would ever get used such displays of affection.  
  
    Erend watched Aloy weave away through the crowd with a dazed look on his face.  It was hard not to watch the sway of her hips as she walked away.  The guard who had tried to speak with him earlier was snickering under his breath, but as soon as the Captain turned his icy gaze on him, the man scurried away, suddenly very busy.

 

* * *

  
  
    As Aloy made her way through the cobbled streets acquaintances waved and called out to her.  She still wasn’t used to having so many people know who she was.  Although, at least here the people looked up to her because of the things she did and not because they thought she was the voice of their deity.  
  
    Once back home, Aloy plopped her bag down by the door and suddenly felt all the aches and strain of travel.  She slowly climbed the steps to her bedroom and propped her bow and spear against the wall before collapsing face first on the bed.  She groaned, savouring the softness of the mattress.  There had been a time when she would have spurned such comforts, thinking they would make her soft, but not now.  One could get used to _some_ comforts, and after sleeping out on the hard ground for several months, a soft bed was a welcome thing.  It wasn’t long before Aloy was asleep.  
  
    It was a loud pounding that woke her.  She groaned and rolled over, blinking against the darkness.  _How long have I been sleeping?_   The pounding came again, more insistent.  Aloy reluctantly pushed herself off the bed and stumbled down the stairs to open the front door.  Erend was standing there, fist hovering, ready to knock again when she pulled the door open.  His expression lightened at the sight of her.    
  
    “Have you been sleeping this whole time?” he asked incredulously, taking in the sight of her tired eyes and disheveled hair.   
  
    Aloy rubbed her eyes, trying to draw the drowsiness from them.  “It wasn’t my intention,” she muttered.  It was then that she noticed Erend wasn’t wearing his usual Vanguard armour, but a simple linen tunic covered by a vest & a pair of soft leather trousers tucked into his boots.  She’d never seen him in civilian clothing, and couldn’t help but stare.  She’d never really spared much thought to what the Oseram looked like beneath his bulky armour, and she felt her face heat as her eyes swept over his form, admiring the view.    
  
    Erend noticed the way Aloy’s eyes roamed and smirked, suddenly feeling rather good about himself.  He wanted to make some cheeky remark, but decided against it, afraid that Aloy might take offense to it.  Instead, he cleared his throat, snapping Aloy back to the moment.  
  
    “Oh!  Uhh, come in!”  She suddenly remembered how dark it was inside and cursed under her breath.  “Hold on, I need to light some lamps.”  The Nora huntress ducked back around the door and disappeared into the darkness.  Erend soon heard a loud crash, as if Aloy had run into something in her haste.    
  
    “Aloy, you okay in there?”  He tentatively stepped through the doorway.  
  
    “Yup!”  Another crash, “everything’s fine!” she called back.  Erend chuckled and shook his head.  He’d never seen the fierce huntress so flustered before.    
      
    Aloy felt like an idiot when she finally realized it would be so much easier if she used her focus to help her see in the dark.  Her lithe fingers tapped the device to life at her ear, and she soon had the lamps lit, diffusing the apartment with warm flickering light.  When she returned to the main room, she found Erend already settled on the sofa.  
  
    “Oh, you probably want something to drink.”  She exclaimed and moved to hurry off to the kitchen, when Erend’s large hand closed around her arm.    
  
    “Whoa, slow down there Aloy.  I’m fine.”  He gestured to the spot next to him.  “Why don’t you sit down and we can talk?”    
  
    Aloy slowly nodded and sat down.  “Sorry, I’m just…” she faltered, “it’s just that…”  Erend watched her patiently, as she struggled for words.  “Being away from… everything for so long, I guess I’m a little out of practice.”  
  
    Erend laughed softly, a deep rumble.  “I get it, _social butterfly_ ,” Aloy rolled her eyes at the jab, “but y’know you don’t have to feel nervous around me, right?”  
  
    Aloy let out a shaky breath.  “Okay, let’s start over.”    
  
    “Sounds good.”    
  
    “So, Captain,” she ventured, “did I miss anything exciting while I was gone?”  She wanted to to fall back into that comfortable flirting dynamic they’d had before she left.  
  
    Erend snorted at the question.  “Oh yes, there was a new threat every other day.  I’m surprised the city’s still standing.”  Aloy cocked an eyebrow at his sarcasm, causing him to grin.  “I’m kidding.  Absolutely _nothing_ happened, exciting or otherwise.”  
  
    At this Aloy’s face scrunched up in thought.  “If that’s true, why do you look so exhausted?  At first I thought you were ill, but…” she glanced at his face, trying to keep the worry from her eyes.  
  
    Erend shrugged.  “I picked up some extra patrol shifts.  Thought it’d be better to stay busy than the alternative.”  
  
    “Alternative?”  Aloy asked, confused.  
  
    “Y’know… sitting around, drinking, thinking too much.”  
  
    Still confused, “Thinking about… what?”  
  
    Erend scratched the back of his head.  “I, uh, thought that’d be obvious,” he replied sheepishly.  
  
    “Not to me.”  Aloy blurted out before thinking, then suddenly realizing what he meant.  “Oh.  You were worried… about me.”  It wasn’t a question.  He shrugged again.  It seemed to be his go-to defense mechanism when he felt uncomfortable.  
      
    “Hey but, enough about my uneventful few months, what about your trip?  Did you find her?”  _Tell me it was worth it._  
  
    Aloy hesitated for a moment.  “Yes, I found her.  I took some time to give her a proper burial.  I think she would have liked that.  I don’t know.”  She looked down at her hands.  “I  did find a few more audio journals.”  When she looked back up, Erend was surprised to see tears in her eyes.  He knew the Sobeck woman was important to her, but he hadn’t expected _this_ response.  Then he remembered that Elisabet was basically the closest thing to a mother that Aloy would probably ever have, even if she’d never met her.  
  
    Aloy sniffed, trying desperately to hold back the tears, she didn’t want to break down in front of Erend.  “There was one audio file of Elisabet talking to GAIA.  She-she said if she ever had a daughter she’d want to her be… curious, willful, unstoppable, and compassionate.”  With each word, her voice became thicker; the dam of tears threatening to fall.  
  
    “That sounds like you,” Erend observed.  
  
    “You must think its stupid.  To miss someone you’ve never met,” she shook her head, “maybe it is.”  
  
    Erend frowned and reached out to gently lift Aloy’s chin, so he could look her in the eye, his expression serious.  “No, it’s not.  It’s _not_ stupid."  He continued on, his voice dropping.  "You have to let yourself grieve, or it’ll tear you up inside.  Trust me on that one.”  
  
    Aloy held his gaze as she felt the first hot tears begin to fall, running slowly down her cheeks.  She wanted to look away, to hide her face so he couldn’t see her cry, but she didn’t.  All the frustration, the disappointment, and pain she’d been carrying for the past year and a half suddenly felt overwhelming.  So she did as Erend suggested, and let it out.  She cried for Elisabet, for Rost, for all the people she hadn’t been able to save, and she cried for herself.  
  
    Erend didn’t say a word; he simply pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her.  For a moment she tensed, but as he began to stroke her hair and murmur soft words, she relaxed into his embrace.  Pressed against his chest she could feel the soft rumble of his voice and heard the steady beat of his heart and she felt… safe.  For the first time in a long time she felt like she truly belonged somewhere.  
  
    When her tears finally subsided and her sobs died down she sat up and tried to scrub the dampness from her cheeks.  Erend took her face in his hands & wiped the last of her tears away with a brush of his thumbs.  “There.  Feel better?” he asked, ducking his head to peer at her.  
  
    Aloy couldn’t help but smile, just a little.  “I do.  I feel… lighter.”  She noticed the large damp spot she’d made on his collar and brushed it with her fingers.  “Thank you for letting me cry on you,” her fingers lingered over the spot.  
  
    “Hey, that’s what I’m here for,” he replied with an easy smile, the one she loved so much, especially when it was directed at her.  Aloy lifted her other arm so both hands now rested on his broad shoulders, her fingers idly playing with the fabric of his tunic.  
  
    “I missed you, you know,” she murmured.  
  
    “I missed you too.”  
  
    Aloy’s pulse quickened, as she gripped Erend’s collar pulling him closer.  “I’ve been looking forward to kissing you again.”  She felt Erend’s breath on her face as he chuckled softly.  
  
    “What a coincidence…”    
  
    Her own breath hitched in her chest as his lips crashed against hers.  She leaned back against the cushion of the sofa, pulling Erend forward.  In her haste to get them both to a more comfortable position, Erend lost his balance and almost fell on top of her.  He was about to ask if she was alright, when her lips found his again, this time letting her tongue explore his mouth, deepening the kiss.  She certainly was enthusiastic, and Erend didn’t mind at all.  He’d been looking forward to this for such a long time.    
  
    Soon, however, Erend had to pull away to yawn, trying to stifle it behind his hand.  He’d been up since dawn and had hardly slept the night before, and he was starting to feel it.  Aloy pushed herself up onto her elbows and studied his tired face.  “Erend, you’re exhausted.”  
  
    “M’not,” he muttered, moving back in to pick up where they left off.    
  
    “ _Erend_.”  Aloy tried to make her voice stern, despite her amusement.  “You need sleep.”  
  
    “No, I need you.”  His words slurred slightly, affirming his exhaustion.  
  
    Aloy rolled her eyes, but smiled fondly.  “Trust me, I’m not going anywhere.  I’ll be right here when you wake.”  
  
    “But…” Erend pouted, “I need to make up for all the time I _should_ have been kissing you, and couldn’t.”  
  
    Aloy laughed, “I don’t think we couldn't possibly make up for all of that in just one evening.”  Erend’s eyebrows climbed at the implication of her words, but he finally let Aloy pull him down on top of her, resting his head against her chest.  She ran her fingers across the ridge of soft hair on his scalp and his eyes fluttered close with a sigh.  It didn’t take long for the slow rise and fall of his breath to tell Aloy that he’d fallen asleep.  
  
    The redhead felt warm and comfortable with Erend in her arms and took the time to study his face as he slept - he looked so peaceful and sweet.  Aloy felt so content that her heart ached.  She let her fingers slowly trace his eyebrows and run through the hair along his jawline, caressing his cheek fondly.  She jumped slightly when he stirred.  “Don’t leave.”  The words were barely a whisper, but they clenched at her heart.    
  
    “I’m not going anywhere,” she reassured him, not sure if he heard her or not.    
  
    “Promise?”  He spoke without opening his eyes.  
  
    “I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had initially planned this going a completely different way, aaaaand it ended up turning rather mushy, because I'm terrible at writing sin... aaaaand I'm not entirely sure if I like it or not, but ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯   
> Anyway, I hope it's alright.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope I've done the characters justice. I'd love to hear any feedback. ^^


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